Trump has music industry worried as new term begins

Donald Trump has the music industry worried as he begins his second term as U.S. President begins.

Predicting what the President and his Republican party will do is no easy task. But after repeated campaign statements and early executive orders Trump has music industry worried in at least four key areas:

1) DoJ vs. Live Nation and Ticketmaster

One major unknown is where a new U.S. Department of Justice stands to the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Will they continue, drop it or force a new consent decree.

So far the lawsuit has had little impact on Live Nation and its stock. But independent venues and promoters see the concert and ticketing giant as an exertional threat with a breakup the only solution.

2) Visas, Immigration & Retribution

Another unknown is how Trump’s aggressive anti-immigration will affect musicians and the live music industry.

Will an overburdened immigration infrastructure with new priorities process VISA applications from overseas artists more slowly?

Will overseas artists still want to tour the US where there being a foreigner is seen as a threat? Will other governments retaliate by making it harder for US artists to tour there?

3) Foreign Trade

There are similar concerns with how Trump’s tougher trade policies and proposed tariffs will affect the global music economy. Will it be harder for foreign music companies to do business in the US and how will US music companies be affected overseas?

4) AI

While plans are vague, Trump has generally been pro AI with less concern than his predecessor for setting guardrails.

On his first day in office, Trump revoked President Biden’s 2023 executive order on AI.

A new Wild Wild West of AI is not good news for musicians and a music industry fighting for control and compensation.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and the founder of the Skyline Artists Agency